Overwhelming Difficulties

No one present interrupted. Fang Yun was right: although his practical experience fell far short of that middle-aged Metropolitan Graduate's, his breadth of knowledge was not much inferior.

"Everyone who has a Medical Book, report your name and clearly state what realm of the Medical Way you have reached."

Zhang Zilong explained, "The Medical Way differs somewhat from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It values practice above all and consumes the most time, so those who study it alongside other paths often remain at the peak of the First Realm, finding it difficult to reach the Second Realm. Even among those who specialize solely in the Medical Way, few reach the Second Realm before forty. The slowness of the Medical Way is known to all. Among Medical School Metropolitan Graduates over forty in every nation, there are Second Realm physicians, but the Spring Hunt prizes slaughter and belittles healing, so no one in this group has reached the Second Realm, 'Medicine Cures the Disease Upon Arrival.' At most, they are comparable to me, having reached the First Realm, 'Prescribe According to the Symptoms.' Still, quite a few people possess Medical Books. I am one of them."

Hua Yuqing followed, "First Realm of the Medical Way. I have a Medical Book."

"I have a Medical Book."

"I also have a Medical Book. It only covers external injuries and minor illnesses, not plagues. Still, the Medical Book can at least protect me alone and weaken a plague's invasion."

"My book does contain a Detoxification Chapter, but the poisons I treat are dead poisons. Plagues are the poison of living things, so its effect is extremely slight."

"I have one too..."

Many people stated that they possessed Medical Books. There were twelve in all; only Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing specialized in the